Methods and apparatus to switch a weld power output

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example welding accessory includes a first port to receive input power via a first weld cable, a power converter to convert the input power to output power, a second port to output the input power via a second weld cable, and one or more output switches to selectively divert the input power from the power converter to the second port.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to welding systems, and moreparticularly to methods and apparatus to switch a weld power output.

Traditional single process welding systems support a variety ofprocesses, such as metal inert gas (MIG) welding, tungsten inert gas(TIG) welding, stick welding, and so forth, which may operate indifferent modes, such as constant current or constant voltage. Suchwelding systems typically include a single output connection and,therefore, are configured to support a single process at a time. Incontrast to these single process welding systems, multi-process weldingsystems may connect to and support multiple processes at the same time.

In some applications, weld process specifications and/or otherconsiderations may require a workpiece to be pre-heated to a particulartemperature range prior to performing a weld on the workpiece. Workpieceheating devices, such as induction heating devices, can be powered usingthe same power supply used to perform the welding.

SUMMARY

Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable, substantially asillustrated by and described in connection with at least one of thefigures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B show example arc welding system constructed inaccordance with aspects of this disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2B show a flowchart illustrating an example method which may beimplemented by a welding accessory such as the example heater of FIG.1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some welding applications, pre-heating and/or controlled cooling of aworkpiece is required to avoid excess stress on the workpiece and/or tomeet weld process specifications. Induction heaters, resistive heaters,and/or other types of heaters may be used to heat a workpiece. Inductiveand/or resistive heating supplies may receive power from a power supplythat is capable of providing welding current to a welding torch.However, to use a remote wire feeder for a welding application and aninductive and/or resistive heating system, conventional welding systemsrequire attachment and detachment of cables between the inductiveheating system, the remote wire feeder, and the power supply.

Weld cable communications (WCC) is a technology that permitscommunication between a power supply and a welding accessory via thesame cable (e.g., the same conductor) used to carry welding current.Conventional systems limited WCC between only two devices.

Disclosed methods and apparatus provide for an intelligent heater systemthat enable rapid (e.g., immediate) transitions from heating to weldingusing the same power supply. In some disclosed examples, a weldingaccessory such as an inductive and/or resistive heater can be connectedbetween a power supply and a second welding accessory such as a wirefeeder. Additionally, disclosed examples enable weld cablecommunications to occur between more than two devices.

Disclosed examples enable a welding accessory to receive a minimalamount of power to perform control and/or monitoring functions whileanother accessory is receiving primary (e.g., welding) current. Forexample, an inductive and/or resistive heater may remain partiallypowered to perform recording while a wire feeder receives primary powerfrom the power supply to accomplish a welding operation.

Additionally, disclosed examples provide for automatic monitoring anddiversion of primary power to a particular welding accessory. Forinstance, if one accessory is likely to be used while another accessoryis sitting idle, an automatic switch back to a previous accessory beimplemented to increase the efficiency of a weld operator and/or reducewelding errors. In some examples, an inductive and/or resistive heatercould be reenergized to provide heating output if a wire feeder andwelding torch idle for longer than a specified length of time. To shiftcommunications back to the wire feeder from the heater, the wire feedermay communicate the selection of a button on the wire feeder controlpanel and/or a trigger pull on a welding torch to cause the heater toreturn power to the wire feeder.

As used herein, the term “port” refers to one or more terminals(s),connector(s), plug(s), and/or any other physical interface(s) fortraversal of one or more inputs and/or outputs. Example ports includeweld cable connections at which a weld cable is physically attached to adevice, an gas hose connector connectors that may make physical and/orelectrical connections for input and/or output of electrical signalsand/or power, physical force and/or work, fluid, and/or gas.

As used herein, the term “weld power consuming device” refers to anydevice that may receive power from a welding power supply as an inputpower source. For example, weld power consuming devices may receive upto a maximum output of the welding power supply for use by the weldpower consuming device to perform one or more functions of the weldpower consuming device, such as heating, welding, data monitoring, datacommunications, and/or any other operation(s) for which welding powercan be used as a power source. Example weld power consuming devicesinclude resistive and/or induction heaters, portable wire feeders,and/or weld torches.

Disclosed example welding accessories include a first port, a powerconverter, a second port, and one or more output switches. The firstport receives input power via a first weld cable. The power converterconverts the input power to output power. The second port outputs theinput power via a second weld cable. The one or more output switchesselectively divert the input power from the power converter to thesecond port.

Some example welding accessories further include a communicationsdetector in communication with the second weld cable. The communicationsdetector, in response to identifying a communication occurring on thesecond weld cable, causes the one or more output switches to divert theinput power to the second port in response to the communication. Someexample welding accessories further include a current watchdog to, inresponse to identifying that the second weld cable has not conductedwelding current for at least a threshold time period, cause the one ormore output switches to direct the input power to the power converter.

Some example welding accessories further include a third port to receivea temperature signal. Some example welding accessories further include atemperature monitor to convert the temperature signal to temperatureinformation. Some example welding accessories further include atransceiver to transmit a communication including temperatureinformation. Some example welding accessories further include a port toreceive a temperature signal and a temperature monitor to convert thetemperature signal to a temperature of a workpiece. The temperaturemonitor causes the one or more output switches to direct the input powerto the power converter in response to a temperature condition or causesthe one or more output switches to divert the input power to the secondport in response to the temperature condition. Some example weldingaccessories further include a first weld cable transceiver to receive atemperature condition definition from a power supply via the first weldcable, where the temperature monitor identifies the temperaturecondition based on the received temperature condition definition.

Some example welding accessories further include a user interface to, inresponse to receiving an input via the user interface, cause the one ormore output switches to direct the input power to the power converter.Some example welding accessories further include a secondary powerconverter to convert the input power to secondary power and to outputthe secondary power to the second port. In some such examples, the oneor more output switches bypass the secondary power converter when theone or more output switches divert the input power to the second port.

Some example welding accessories further include a weld cabletransceiver to send or receive communications via at least one of thefirst weld cable or the second weld cable. In some examples, thecommunications include destination information that identifiescorresponding destinations of the communications. In some examples, thepower converter converts the input power to heating power and outputsthe heating power to a heating device when the one or more outputswitches direct the input power to the power converter.

Disclosed example methods include receiving, at a first port of a firstweld power consuming device, input power via a first weld cable;converting the input power to output power with a power converter, theoutput power having at least one characteristic different than the inputpower; supplying the output power to an output device via a second portof the first weld power consuming device; and, in response to anindication that the input power is to be consumed by a second weld powerconsuming device, diverting the input power from the power converter toa third port of the first weld power consuming device using one or moreswitching devices.

Some example methods further include identifying the indication that theinput power is to be consumed by the second weld power consuming devicebased on receiving a communication via the third port and the first weldcable while the input power is being received via the first port. Insome such examples, the communication corresponds to an input at atleast one of a welding torch or a user interface of the second weldpower consuming device.

Some example methods further include detecting a communication receivedon a conductor in communication with the first port; decoding thecommunication to identify a destination of the communication; and, whenthe destination does not correspond to the first weld power consumingdevice, discarding the communication or, when the destinationcorresponds to the first weld power consuming device, executing aninstruction based on a payload of the communication.

Some example methods further include identifying, via a current sensor,that a current from the first port to the third port is less than athreshold current for a time duration that satisfies a threshold time;and diverting the input power from the third port to the power converterusing the one or more switching devices in response to the identifying.Some example methods further include identifying an input command via auser interface of the first weld power consuming device and divertingthe input power from the third port to the power converter using the oneor more switching devices in response to the input command.

Some example methods further include receiving a communication via thefirst port and the first weld cable while the input power is beingreceived via the first port, and diverting the input power from thethird port to the power converter using the one or more switchingdevices in response to the communication. Some example methods furtherinclude transmitting a communication via the first port and the firstweld cable while the input power is being received via the first port.

Disclosed example welding systems include a power supply, an inductiveheater, and a second weld power consuming device. The power supplyincludes a first power converter to convert primary power received atthe power supply to secondary power. The inductive heater includes afirst input port to receive the secondary power from the power supply, afirst weld cable transceiver to communicate with the power supply viathe first input port, a second power converter to convert the secondarypower to inductive power, and one or more output switches. The one ormore output switches select, based on at least one of a communicationreceived at the first weld cable transceiver or detecting a switchingcondition, a heating port or a passthrough port. When the heating portis selected, the one or more output switches direct the secondary powerto the second power converter. When the passthrough port is selected,the one or more output switches divert the secondary power from thefirst input port to the passthrough port. The second weld powerconsuming device includes a second input port to receive the secondarypower from the inductive heater and a second weld cable transceiver tocommunicate with the power supply via the second input port.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an examplewelding system 10 having a welding power supply 12, a wire feeder 14,and a welding torch 16. The welding system 10 powers, controls, andsupplies consumables to a welding application. The welding torch 16 maybe a torch configured for stick welding, tungsten inert gas (TIG)welding, or gas metal arc welding (GMAW), based on the desired weldingapplication.

The welding power supply 12 receives primary power 18 (e.g., from the ACpower grid, an engine/generator set, a battery, or other energygenerating or storage devices, or a combination thereof), conditions theprimary power, and provides an output power to one or more weldingdevices in accordance with demands of the system 10. The primary power18 may be supplied from an offsite location (e.g., the primary power mayoriginate from the power grid). The welding power supply 12 includespower conversion circuitry 20, which may include transformers,rectifiers, switches, and so forth, capable of converting the AC inputpower to AC and/or DC output power as dictated by the demands of thesystem 10 (e.g., particular welding processes and regimes).

In some examples, the power conversion circuitry 20 is configured toconvert the primary power 18 to both weld and auxiliary power outputs.However, in other examples, the power conversion circuitry 20 is adaptedto convert primary power only to a weld power output, and a separateauxiliary converter is provided to convert primary power to auxiliarypower. In some other examples, the welding power supply 12 receives aconverted auxiliary power output directly from a wall outlet. Anysuitable power conversion system or mechanism may be employed by thewelding power supply 12 to generate and supply both weld and auxiliarypower.

The welding power supply 12 includes a power supply controller 22 tocontrol the operation of the welding power supply 12. The welding powersupply 12 also includes a user interface 24. The power supply controller22 receives input from the user interface 24, through which a user maychoose a process and/or input desired parameters (e.g., voltages,currents, particular pulsed or non-pulsed welding regimes, and soforth). The user interface 24 may receive inputs using any input device,such as via a keypad, keyboard, buttons, touch screen, voice activationsystem, wireless device, etc. Furthermore, the power supply controller22 controls operating parameters based on input by the user as well asbased on other current operating parameters. Specifically, the userinterface 24 may include a display 26 for presenting, showing, orindicating, information to an operator. The power supply controller 22may also include interface circuitry for communicating data to otherdevices in the system 10, such as the wire feeder 14. For example, insome situations, the welding power supply 12 wirelessly communicateswith other welding devices within the welding system 10. Further, insome situations, the welding power supply 12 communicates with otherwelding devices using a wired connection, such as by using a networkinterface card (NIC) to communicate data via a network (e.g., ETHERNET,10baseT, 10base100, etc.) and/or a control cable to communicate via adirect wired connection. In the example of FIG. 1A, the power supplycontroller 22 may communicates with a weld cable transceiver 28, asdescribed below.

The power supply controller 22 includes at least one controller orprocessor 30 that controls the operations of the welding power supply12. The power supply controller 22 receives and processes multipleinputs associated with the performance and demands of the system 10. Theprocessor 30 may include one or more microprocessors, such as one ormore “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purposemicroprocessors and/or ASICS, and/or any other type of processingdevice. For example, the processor 30 may include one or more digitalsignal processors (DSPs).

The example power supply controller 22 includes a storage device 32 anda memory device 34. The storage device 32 (e.g., nonvolatile storage)may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, and/or any other suitableoptical, magnetic, and/or solid-state storage medium, and/or acombination thereof. The storage device 32 stores data (e.g., datacorresponding to a welding application), instructions (e.g., software orfirmware to perform welding processes), and/or any other appropriatedata. Examples of stored data for a welding application include anattitude (e.g., orientation) of a welding torch, a distance between thecontact tip and a workpiece, a voltage, a current, welding devicesettings, and so forth.

The memory device 34 may include a volatile memory, such as randomaccess memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as read-onlymemory (ROM). The memory device 34 may store a variety of informationand may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory device 34may store processor executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software)for the processor 30 to execute. In addition, one or more controlregimes for various welding processes, along with associated settingsand parameters, may be stored in the storage device 32 and/or memorydevice 34, along with code configured to provide a specific output(e.g., initiate wire feed, enable gas flow, capture welding currentdata, detect short circuit parameters, determine amount of spatter)during operation.

The example welding system 10 also includes an induction heater 36. Inthe illustrated example, the welding power source 12 is configured tosupply power to the induction heater 36, which may consume the suppliedpower (e.g., to perform heating) and/or may direct the supply power tothe wire feeder 14. The wire feeder 14 routes the input power to thewelding torch 16. In addition to supplying power to the torch 16, thewire feeder 14 may supply a filler metal to a welding torch 16 via aweld cable 35 for various welding applications (e.g., GMAW welding, fluxcore arc welding (FCAW)).

The example induction heater 36 of FIG. 1A includes a power converter 38and switching devices 40 a, 40 b. The induction heater 36 is coupled tothe power supply 12 to receive the input power via input ports 42 a, 42b. The input ports 42 a, 42 b correspond to positive and negativevoltage references. For example, the input port 42 a may be connected toa weld cable connection (e.g., a positive voltage terminal) of the powersupply 12 and the input port 42 b may be connected to a work cableconnection (e.g., a negative or reference voltage terminal) of the powersupply 12.

The power converter 38 converts input power received from the powersupply 12 via the input ports 42 a, 42 b into output power. For example,the power converter 38 may output the output power to drive inductionheating cables 44 that are used to heat a workpiece prior to performinga weld.

The switching devices 40 a, 40 b selectively direct input power receivedfrom the power supply 12 to the power converter 38 and/or to passthroughports 46 a, 46 b that connect the induction heater 36 to the wire feeder14. As described in more detail below, the switching devices 40 a, 40 bmay be controlled to direct the input power to the power converter 38and/or to divert the power to the passthrough ports 46 a, 46 b inresponse to any number of conditions or stimuli, such as weld cablecommunications from the power supply 12 and/or from the wire feeder 14,sensor input at the heater 36, receiving commands at a user interface,and/or timeout condition(s). While the example of FIG. 1A shows twosingle pole, single throw switches 40 a, 40 b, in other examples (e.g.,FIG. 1B) a single pole, double throw switch 40 may be used. Any othertype of switch may be used to implement the switching device(s) 40.

In some examples, a gas supply 45 provides shielding gases, such asargon, helium, carbon dioxide, and so forth, depending upon the weldingapplication. The shielding gas flows to a valve 46, which controls theflow of gas, and if desired, may be selected to allow for modulating orregulating the amount of gas supplied to a welding application. Thevalve 46 may be opened, closed, or otherwise operated by the powersupply controller 22 to enable, inhibit, or control gas flow (e.g.,shielding gas) through the valve 46. Shielding gas exits the valve 46and flows through a gas line 48 (which in some implementations may bepackaged with the welding power output) to the wire feeder 14 whichprovides the shielding gas to the welding application. In some examples,the welding system 10 does not include the gas supply 45, the valve 46,and/or the gas line 48.

In some examples, the weld cable transceiver 28 a disposed in thewelding power supply 12 communicates with the weld cable transceiver 28b disposed in the heater 36 and/or with the weld cable transceiver 28 cdisposed in the wire feeder 14. For example, the weld cable transceivers28 a, 28 b, 28 c may exchange instructions (e.g., requested weldingparameters) and/or welding data (e.g., information describing the weldmeasured at and/or near the torch 16). As an example, the processor(s)30 may receive signals from the weld cable transceiver 28 c to derivethe actual current being delivered during operations (e.g., through theweld cable 35 and/or at the welding torch 16), as opposed to the currentbeing measured at the welding power supply 12. Any and all techniquesused by the weld cable transceivers 28 a, 28 b, 28 c to transmit and/orreceive data. For example, the weld cable transceivers 28 a, 28 b, 28 cmay utilize IEEE standard P1901.2 to provide data communications overthe weld cables 70 a, 72 a that also provide welding power (e.g., tosuperimpose data signals and the weld power). Example methods andsystems to provide welding power and data communications via the samecable (e.g., the same conductor) are described in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2015/0196970, filed Jan. 10, 2014, entitled“Devices and Methods for Communicating in a Welding System.” Theentirety of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0196970 isincorporated herein by reference. Other communication techniques mayalso be used.

In some examples, the ability of the weld cable transceiver 28 a in thepower supply 12 to communicate with the weld cable transceiver 28 b inthe heater 36 and/or with the weld cable transceiver 28 c is dependenton the configuration of the switching devices 40 a, 40 b.

In some examples, the wire feeder 14 uses the welding power to power thevarious components in the wire feeder 14, such as to power a wire feedercontroller 50 (e.g., control circuitry). As noted above, the weld cables70 a, 72 a may be configured to provide or supply the welding power. Thewelding power supply 12 may also communicate with the wire feeder 14using the weld cables 70 a, 72 a and the weld cable transceiver 28 adisposed within the welding power supply 12. In some examples, the wirefeeder 14 includes the weld cable transceiver 28 c, which issubstantially similar to the weld cable transceiver 28 a of the weldingpower supply 12. Indeed, the weld cable transceiver 28 c of the wirefeeder 14 may cooperate with the wire feeder controller 50 of the wirefeeder 14 in similar ways as the welding power supply 12 cooperates withthe power supply controller 22. The wire feeder controller 50 controlsthe operations of the wire feeder 14. In some examples, the wire feeder14 uses the wire feeder controller 50 to detect whether the wire feeder14 is in communication with the welding power supply 12 and to detect acurrent welding process of the welding power supply 12 if the wirefeeder 14 is in communication with the welding power supply 12.

A contactor 52 (e.g., high amperage relay) is controlled by the wirefeeder controller 50 and configured to enable or inhibit welding powerto continue to flow to the weld cable 35 for the welding application. Insome examples, the contactor 52 is an electromechanical device. However,the contactor 52 may be any other suitable device, such as a solid statedevice. While one contactor 52 is illustrated in FIG. 1A, multiplecontactors may be used. The wire feeder 14 includes a wire drive 54 thatreceives control signals from the wire feeder controller 50 to driverollers 56 that rotate to pull wire off a spool 58 of wire. The wire isprovided to the welding application through a wire cable 60. Likewise,the wire feeder 14 may provide the shielding gas through the gas line48. The cables 35, 48, and 60 may be bundled together and/orindividually provided to the welding torch 16.

The welding torch 16 delivers the wire, welding power, and shielding gasfor a welding application. The welding torch 16 is used to establish awelding arc between the welding torch 16 and a workpiece 62. A workcable port 63 couples a work cable 64 to the power supply 12 (e.g., tothe power conversion circuitry 20). The example work cable port 63enables attachment and/or detachment of the work cable 64 to the wirefeeder 14 for ease of replacement of the work cable 64. The work cable64 may be terminated with a clamp 65 (or another power connectingdevice), couples the welding power supply 12 and/or the wire feeder 14to the workpiece 62 to complete a welding power circuit.

As mentioned above, the wire feeder 14 is selectively connected to thepower supply 12 via the switching devices 40 a, 40 b of the heater 36.The example wire feeder 14 of FIG. 1A includes input ports 68 a, 68 bthat are connected to the passthrough ports 46 a, 46 b of the heater 36by respective cables 70 a, 70 b. The input ports 42 a, 42 b areconnected to the power supply 12 by respective cables 72 a, 72 b. Asused herein, the example cables 70 a, 70 b may be referred to as weldcables because the cables 70 a, 72 a carry the weld current provided tothe weld cable 35 connected to the torch 16. Similarly, the examplecables 70 b, 72 b may be referred to as work cables, because the cables70 b, 72 b carry the return current from the work cable 64 that isconnected to the workpiece 62.

In some examples, the welding power flows from the power conversioncircuitry 20 through the weld cables 35, 70 a, 72 a to the wire feeder14 and the welding torch 16. The example ports 42 a, 42 b, 46 a, 46 b,68 a, 68 b enable attachment and/or detachment of the cables 35, 70 a,70 b, 72 a, 72 b and the power supply 12, the heater 36, and/or the wirefeeder 14 (e.g., to enable ease of replacement of the cables 35, 70 a,70 b, 72 a, 72 b in case of wear or damage). Furthermore, in someexamples, welding data is provided with the cables 35, 70 a, 70 b, 72 a,72 b such that welding power and weld data are provided and transmittedtogether over the cables 35, 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b. The weld cabletransceivers 28 a-28 c are communicatively coupled to the cables 35, 70a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b to communicate (e.g., send/receive) data over thecables 35, 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b. The weld cable transceivers 28 a, 28b, 28 c may be implemented based on various types of power linecommunications methods and techniques. For example, the weld cabletransceivers 28 a, 28 b, 28 c may utilize IEEE standard P1901.2 toprovide data communications over the cables 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b. Inthis manner, the cables 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b may be utilized toprovide welding power from the welding power supply 12 to the wirefeeder 14 and the welding torch 16. Additionally or alternatively, theweld cables 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b may be used to transmit and/orreceive data communications to/from the wire feeder 14 and the weldingtorch 16. The weld cable transceivers 28 a, 28 b, 28 c arecommunicatively coupled to the weld cables 70 a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b, forexample, via a cable data coupler 37, to characterize the weld cables 70a, 70 b, 72 a, 72 b, as described in more detail below.

The heater 36 is an example of a welding accessory that may be used toimplement multi-device communications via weld cable communications.However, the methods and apparatus disclosed herein are applicable toother weld accessories in addition to heating devices. Whereasconventional weld cable communication used point-to-point communication,the example heater 36 enables multi-device communications between powersupplies and/or welding accessories without independent weld cableports, one-to-many cable adapters, or external communications switches.Instead, the example heater 36 determines whether power and/or weldcable communications from the power supply 12 are to be applied by theheater 36 or diverted to the wire feeder 14. For example, the heater 36may use contextual information to determine the stage of the weldingoperation that is occurring.

The example heater includes a controller 74 to control the switchingdevices 40 a, 40 b. The controller 74 communicates with the power supply12 via the weld cable transceiver 28 b.

In some examples, the heater 36 includes a second weld cable transceiver28 d separate from the weld cable transceiver 28 b. By includingseparate weld cable transceivers 28 b, 28 d, the example heater 36 maysimultaneously conduct weld cable communications with both the powersupply 12 (e.g., to send temperature data and/or receive commands) andwith the wire feeder 14 (e.g., to receive data indicating that switchingdevices 40 a, 40 b are to be switched between directing power to thepower converter 38 and/or diverting power to the passthrough ports 46 a,46 b).

The example heater 36 (e.g., via the controller 74) initializes byconfiguring the switching devices 40 a, 40 b to direct input power fromthe power supply 12 to the power converter 38. The power converter 38converts the input power to inductive heating power (or some other powerappropriate to the accessory), which is output to the workpiece 62 viathe heating cables 44 to inductively heat the workpiece 62 to a desiredtemperature. The power converter 38 and/or the controller 74 receivetemperature measurements from one or more thermocouples 76. In someexamples, when the signals received from the thermocouple(s) 76 indicatethat the workpiece 62 has been heated to a specified temperature range,the controller 74 controls the switching devices 40 a, 40 b to divertthe input power to the passthrough ports 46 a, 46 b.

Alternatively, if (while the input power is still being directed to thepower converter 38) a weld operator (e.g., a user of the torch 16)enters an input to the wire feeder 14, such as changing a setting at thewire feeder 14 and/or pulling a trigger of the torch 16, the exampleweld cable transceiver 28 c of the wire feeder 14 transmits a messagevia the cable(s) 70 a, 70 b, which is received at the weld cabletransceiver 28 d. In response, the weld cable transceiver 28 d providesan indication to the controller 74 that the wire feeder 14 is to bepowered. Based on the indication from the weld cable transceiver 28 d,the controller 74 controls the switching devices 40 a, 40 b to divertthe input power to the passthrough ports 46 a, 46 b.

When the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are configured to divert the inputpower to the passthrough port 46 a, 46 b, the example controller 74monitors the current flowing from the input port 42 a to the passthroughport 46 a via a current sensor 78. If the current sensed by the currentsensor 78 is less than a threshold current (e.g., indicating thatwelding is not occurring) for at least a threshold time (e.g., asmonitored by a watchdog timer), the controller 74 controls the switchingdevices 40 a, 40 b to divert or re-direct the input power to the powerconverter 38. The example controller 74 controls the power converter 38to convert the input power to heating power to, for example, maintain arequired temperature of the workpiece to reduce a re-heating time whenthe operator returns to the workpiece and/or to enter a cool-down phaseto cool down the workpiece 62 in a controlled manner.

Additionally or alternatively, the controller 74 monitors a userinterface 80 of the heater 36 for input. The example user interface 80may include temperature controls and/or a selection button to enableand/or disable the power converter 38 (e.g., to enable manual triggeringof the controller 74 to configure the switching devices 40 a, 40 b). Ifthe switching devices 40 a, 40 b are configured to divert the inputpower to the passthrough port 46 a, 46 b, and the user interface 80receives input, the controller 74 configures the switching devices 40 a,40 b to direct the input power to the power converter 38.

While the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are configured to divert theinput power to the passthrough port 46 a, 46 b, the controller 74 alsomonitors the temperature signal(s) from the thermocouple(s) 76. If thecontroller 74 identifies a temperature at the workpiece 62 below athreshold temperature (e.g., outside of a weld process specification),the controller 74 configures the switching devices 40 a, 40 b to directthe input power to the power converter 38 to re-heat the workpiece 62.

The heater 36 of FIG. 1A further includes a system supply 82 to providelower levels of power to the wire feeder 14 via the passthrough port 46a when the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are not configured to divert theinput power to the passthrough port 46 a. For example, the system supply82 may provide sufficient power from the input power to enable the wirefeeder controller 50 to operate. Additionally or alternatively, thepower provided by the system supply 82 is not sufficient to performwelding operations or heating operations.

Additionally or alternatively, the system supply 82 may provide lowerlevels of power to the controller 74 when the output switching devices40 a, 40 b are configured to divert the input power to the passthroughports 46 a, 46 b. For example, the system supply 82 may providesufficient power to the controller 74 to enable the controller 74 tomonitor and/or log temperature measurements and/or to control theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b to re-direct power to the power converter38 as mentioned above.

In some examples, the system supply 82 provides power sharing betweenthe heater 36 and the wire feeder 14 to enable heating and welding tooccur simultaneously. For example, the controller 74 may determine anamount of the power provided by the power supply 12 that is required bythe wire feeder 14 (e.g., to accomplish an acceptable weld) based on acommunication from the wire feeder 14 and/or based on monitoring thevoltage and/or current being drawn by the wire feeder 14. The examplecontroller 74 controls the system supply 82 to provide any availablepower (or a specified amount of power) to the power converter 38 to heatthe workpiece 62. While in this example the wire feeder 14 and/orwelding operation takes priority over heating, in other examples thecontroller 74 controls the system supply 82 to give priority to thepower converter 38 to accomplish a heating operation, and controls thesystem supply 82 to permit welding operations to be performed up to aspecified power output. In some examples, if the power converter 38takes priority and the wire feeder 14 requests more power than isavailable, the controller 74 communicates an error or other message tothe wire feeder 14, which may be displayed to a user to indicate thatthe requested weld operation is not permitted due to heating powertaking priority.

In some examples, the system supply 82 detects attempts by the wirefeeder 14 to draw power (e.g., in response to a weld torch trigger pull)such as by measuring a change in output impedance and/or a voltagechange via the passthrough port 46 a, 46 b. The example system supply 82provides an indication of the attempted current draw to the controller74, which may respond to the indication by determining which of thepower converter 38 and/or the passthrough port 46 a, 46 b are to receivethe input power.

In some examples, the weld cable transceivers 28 a-28 c of FIG. 1A areconnected on a same bus during at least some of the time (e.g., when theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b are diverting power from the input ports 42a-42 b to the passthrough ports 46 a, 46 b), where messages transmittedby one of the weld cable transceivers 28 a-28 c are received at all ofthe other weld cable transceivers 28 a-28 c. In some such examples, theweld cable transceivers 28 a-28 c include address or destinationinformation in transmitted communications, where each of the powersupply 12, the heater 36, and the wire feeder 14 are assigned differentaddresses and/or different identifiers for use in addressingcommunications.

Additionally or alternatively, the weld cable transceivers 28 a-28 c maybe provided with separate command codes or instructions forcommunicating with different ones of the power supply 12, the heater 36,and the wire feeder 14. For example, the power supply 12 may usedifferent codes and/or message formats to communicate with the heater 36than the codes and/or message formats used to communicate with the wirefeeder 14.

FIG. 1B shows another example welding system 84. In contrast to theexample welding system 10 of FIG. 1A, the welding system 84 of FIG. 1Buses wired or wireless communications transceivers to communicate via adifferent medium than the weld cables 70 a-70 b, 72 a-72 b. The examplepower supply 12, the example heater 36, and the example wire feeder 14each include a wired/wireless transceiver 86 a, 86 b, 86 c. The examplewired/wireless transceivers 86 a, 86 b, 86 c provide communicationsbetween the example power supply 12, the example heater 36, and/or theexample wire feeder 14 to provide the information described above withreference to the weld cable transceivers 28 a-28 d.

While the example of FIG. 1A shows three welding devices configured tocommunicate via weld cable communications, the power supply 12 and/orthe wire feeder 14 may be configured with switching devices in a similarmanner as the heater 36 to enable any number of welding devices to beconfigured for communication.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate example machine readable instructions 200which may be executed by the controller 74 of FIG. 1A to provide weldcable communications between three or more welding devices. Theinstructions 200 are described below with reference to the weldingsystem 10 of FIG. 1A. In the illustrated example, at an initializationof the controller 74, the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are set to directpower to the power converter 38.

Referring to FIG. 2A, at block 202, the example heater 36 receives inputpower from the power supply 12 via a first weld cable 72 a connected toan input port 42 a.

At block 204, the controller 74 of the heater 36 determines whether theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b are set to a pass through mode. Forexample, the controller 74 may determine whether the switching devices40 a, 40 b are being controlled to pass through (e.g., divert) the inputpower from the input port 42 a to the passthrough port 46 a. If theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b are not set to a passthrough mode, theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b are set to direct the input power to thepower converter 38 in the example of FIG. 1A.

When the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are not set to passthrough (block204), at block 206 the power converter 38 converts the input power fromthe input port 42 a to output power. Example output power includesinductive heating energy applied to the inductive heating cables 44 ofFIG. 1A. At block 208, the power converter 38 supplies the output powerto an output device (e.g., the heating cables 44).

At block 210, the controller 74 determines whether a communication hasbeen received from the passthrough port 46 a. For example, thecontroller 74 may receive a signal from the weld cable transceiver 28 din response to a weld cable communication from the weld cabletransceiver 28 c of the wire feeder 14. In some examples, the signalindicates that a welding parameter has been adjusted via the wire feeder14 and/or that a welding operator has pulled the trigger of the torch16. In some examples, the communication is an attempt by the wire feeder14 (or other attached device) to draw power, such as weld power.

If a communication has not been received from the passthrough port 46 a(block 210), the controller 74 determines whether a sensor inputcorresponds to passing through the input power to the passthrough port(block 212). For example, the controller 74 may determine that atemperature signal received from the thermocouple(s) 76 of FIG. 1Acorresponds to a desired temperature range for the workpiece 62. In someexamples, the controller 74 may prevent configuration of the switchingdevices 40 a, 40 b to direct the input power to the passthrough port 46a (e.g., blocking manual switching via a user interface) when the sensorinput indicates that the passthrough could result in a defect or otherproblem. For example, if the temperature of the workpiece 62 (determinedvia the thermocouple(s) 76) is less than a minimum temperature, thecontroller 74 does not permit the input power to be provided to the wirefeeder 14 or the torch 16 via the passthrough port 46 a to potentiallyprevent a defective weld. If the controller 74 does not identify asensor input that corresponds to passing through the input power to thepassthrough port 46 a (block 212), control returns to block 202 tocontinue receiving input power via the input port 42 a.

If a communication has been received from the passthrough port 46 a(block 210) and/or if the controller 74 identifies a sensor input thatcorresponds to passing through the input power to the passthrough port46 a (block 212), at block 214 the controller 74 configures theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b to divert the input power to thepassthrough port 46 a. For example, the controller 74 may provide aswitching signal to the switching devices 40 a, 40 b to break anelectrical connection between the input port 42 a and the powerconverter 38 and to establish an electrical connection between the inputport 42 a and the passthrough port 46 a.

Referring to FIG. 2B, if, at block 204, the controller 74 determinesthat the switching devices 40 a, 40 b are set to a pass through mode,the switching devices 40 a, 40 b divert the power received at the inputport 42 a to the passthrough port 46 a (block 216). At block 218, thecurrent sensor 78 monitors the current passing through the passthroughport 46 a. In some examples, the current sensor 78 causes the controller74 to reset or halt a current watchdog timer while the measured currentis at least a threshold current (e.g., a minimum welding current).

At block 220, the example controller 74 determines whether an input hasbeen received via the user interface 80 (block 220). For example, aninput button or other device may be selected at the user interface 80 bya weld operator, a helper, or another person.

If an input has been received via the user interface 80, the controller74 determines whether the watchdog timer has expired (block 222). Forexample, the watchdog timer may expire if the monitored current is lessthan the current threshold for a least a threshold time period. Thethreshold time duration may be selected based on a likelihood such that,if welding has not occurred for at least the threshold time duration,the workpiece 62 should be reheated to reduce (e.g., eliminate) are-heating time when the operator wishes to resume welding. Additionallyor alternatively, expiration of the watchdog timer may cause thecontroller 74 to invoke a cool down procedure to permit cooling of theworkpiece 62 within a weld process specification.

If the watchdog timer has not expired (block 222), the controller 74determines whether a sensor input satisfies a measurement threshold(block 224). For example, the controller 74 may compare a temperaturesignal received from the thermocouple(s) 76 to a temperature threshold(e.g., a lower threshold). For example, if the controller 74 determinesthat the temperature of the workpiece 62 goes below a specifiedthreshold temperature (e.g., less than a minimum acceptable temperatureat which welding can be performed), the controller 74 may initiatere-heating of the workpiece 62 by the power converter 38 and the heatingcables 44.

If an input has been received via the user interface 80 (block 220), thewatchdog timer has expired (block 222), and/or the sensor inputsatisfies the threshold (block 224), the controller 74 configures theswitching devices 40 a, 40 b to direct the input power to the powerconverter 38 (block 226). For example, the controller 74 may signal theswitching device 40 to break an electrical connection with thepassthrough port 46 a and to establish an electrical connection with thepower converter 38. At block 228, the system supply 82 directsoperational power from the input power to the passthrough port 46 a. Theoperational power is power that is sufficient to power the controlsystems connected to the passthrough port 46 a (e.g., the wire feedercontroller 50). In some examples, the change in voltage at thepassthrough port 46 a automatically causes the system supply 82 to beginproviding the operational power.

After the system supply 82 begins providing the operational power (block228), or if no input has been received via the user interface 80 (block220), the watchdog timer has not expired (block 222), and the sensorinput does not satisfy the threshold (block 224), control returns toblock 202 of FIG. 2A to continue receiving (and appropriately directing)the input power from the power supply 12.

The present methods and systems may be realized in hardware, software,and/or a combination of hardware and software. The present methodsand/or systems may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputing system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computing systems. Any kind ofcomputing system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may include a general-purpose computing system with a programor other code that, when being loaded and executed, controls thecomputing system such that it carries out the methods described herein.Another typical implementation may comprise an application specificintegrated circuit or chip. Some implementations may comprise anon-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer readable) medium (e.g.,FLASH drive, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, or the like) havingstored thereon one or more lines of code executable by a machine,thereby causing the machine to perform processes as described herein. Asused herein, the term “non-transitory machine-readable medium” isdefined to include all types of machine readable storage media and toexclude propagating signals.

While the present method and/or system has been described with referenceto certain implementations, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the scope of the present methodand/or system. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt aparticular situation or material to the teachings of the presentdisclosure without departing from its scope. For example, block and/orcomponents of disclosed examples may be combined, divided, re-arranged,and/or otherwise modified. Therefore, it is intended that the presentmethod and/or system not be limited to the particular implementationsdisclosed, but that the present method and/or system will include allimplementations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

As utilized herein the terms “circuits” and “circuitry” refer tophysical electronic components (i.e. hardware) and any software and/orfirmware (“code”) which may configure the hardware, be executed by thehardware, and or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As usedherein, for example, a particular processor and memory may comprise afirst “circuit” when executing a first one or more lines of code and maycomprise a second “circuit” when executing a second one or more lines ofcode. As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or more of the items inthe list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means anyelement of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, “xand/or y” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example, “x, y,and/or z” means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x,y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y and/or z” means“one or more of x, y and z”. As utilized herein, the term “exemplary”means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. Asutilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example” set off lists ofone or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. Asutilized herein, circuitry is “operable” to perform a function wheneverthe circuitry comprises the necessary hardware and code (if any isnecessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance ofthe function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., by a user-configurablesetting, factory trim, etc.).

The present methods and/or systems may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present methodsand/or systems may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputing system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computing systems. Any kind ofcomputing system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computing system with a program orother code that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computingsystem such that it carries out the methods described herein. Anothertypical implementation may comprise an application specific integratedcircuit or chip. Some implementations may comprise a non-transitorymachine-readable (e.g., computer readable) medium (e.g., FLASH drive,optical disk, magnetic storage disk, or the like) having stored thereonone or more lines of code executable by a machine, thereby causing themachine to perform processes as described herein.

While the present method and/or system has been described with referenceto certain implementations, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the scope of the present methodand/or system. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt aparticular situation or material to the teachings of the presentdisclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, the presentmethod and/or system are not limited to the particular implementationsdisclosed. Instead, the present method and/or system will include allimplementations falling within the scope of the appended claims, bothliterally and under the doctrine of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A welding accessory, comprising: a first port toreceive input power via a first weld cable; a power converter to convertthe input power to output power; a second port to output the input powervia a second weld cable; and one or more output switches to selectivelydivert the input power from the power converter to the second port. 2.The welding accessory as defined in claim 1, further comprising acontroller communicatively coupled with the second weld cable, thecontroller configured to, in response to identifying a communicationoccurring on the second weld cable, cause the one or more outputswitches to divert the input power to the second port in response to thecommunication.
 3. The welding accessory as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising a controller configured to, in response to identifying thatthe second weld cable has not conducted welding current for at least athreshold time period, cause the one or more output switches to directthe input power to the power converter.
 4. The welding accessory asdefined in claim 1, further comprising a third port to receive atemperature signal, a controller configured to convert the temperaturesignal to temperature information, and a transceiver to transmit acommunication including temperature information.
 5. The weldingaccessory as defined in claim 1, further comprising a third port toreceive a temperature signal and a controller configured to convert thetemperature signal to a temperature of a workpiece, the controllerconfigured to: cause the one or more output switches to direct the inputpower to the power converter in response to a temperature condition; orcause the one or more output switches to divert the input power to thesecond port in response to the temperature condition.
 6. The weldingaccessory as defined in claim 5, further comprising a first weld cabletransceiver to receive a temperature condition definition from a powersupply via the first weld cable, the controller configured to identifythe temperature condition based on the received temperature conditiondefinition.
 7. The welding accessory as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising a user interface to, in response to receiving an input viathe user interface, cause the one or more output switches to direct theinput power to the power converter.
 8. The welding accessory as definedin claim 1, further comprising a secondary power converter to convertthe input power to secondary power, and to output the secondary power tothe second port.
 9. The welding accessory as defined in claim 8, whereinthe one or more output switches are to bypass the secondary powerconverter when the one or more output switches divert the input power tothe second port.
 10. The welding accessory as defined in claim 1,further comprising a weld cable transceiver to send or receivecommunications via at least one of the first weld cable or the secondweld cable.
 11. The welding accessory as defined in claim 10, whereinthe communications include destination information identifyingcorresponding destinations of the communications.
 12. The weldingaccessory as defined in claim 1, wherein the power converter is to, whenthe one or more output switches direct the input power to the powerconverter, convert the input power to heating power and output theheating power to a heating device.
 13. A method, comprising: receiving,at a first port of a first weld power consuming device, input power viaa first weld cable; converting the input power to output power with apower converter, the output power having at least one characteristicdifferent than the input power; supplying the output power to an outputdevice via a second port of the first weld power consuming device; andin response to an indication that the input power is to be consumed by asecond weld power consuming device, diverting the input power from thepower converter to a third port of the first weld power consuming deviceusing one or more switching devices.
 14. The method as defined in claim13, further comprising identifying the indication that the input poweris to be consumed by the second weld power consuming device based onreceiving a communication via the third port and the first weld cablewhile the input power is being received via the first port.
 15. Themethod as defined in claim 14, wherein the communication corresponds toan input at least one of a welding torch or a user interface of thesecond weld power consuming device.
 16. The method as defined in claim13, further comprising: detecting a communication received on aconductor in communication with the first port; decoding thecommunication to identify a destination of the communication; and whenthe destination does not correspond to the first weld power consumingdevice, discarding the communication; or when the destinationcorresponds to the first weld power consuming device, executing aninstruction based on a payload of the communication.
 17. The method asdefined in claim 13, further comprising: identifying, via a currentsensor, that a current from the first port to the third port is lessthan a threshold current for a time duration that satisfies a thresholdtime; and diverting the input power from the third port to the powerconverter using the one or more switching devices in response to theidentifying.
 18. The method as defined in claim 13, further comprising:identifying an input command via a user interface of the first weldpower consuming device; and diverting the input power from the thirdport to the power converter using the one or more switching devices inresponse to the input command.
 19. The method as defined in claim 13,further comprising: receiving a communication via the first port and thefirst weld cable while the input power is being received via the firstport; and diverting the input power from the third port to the powerconverter using the one or more switching devices in response to thecommunication.
 20. The welding accessory as defined in claim 1, whereinthe first port comprises two or more first terminals configured toconduct the input power, and the second port comprises two or moresecond terminals configured to conduct the input power.